Samsung Electronics has achieved 10km (6.2 miles) long-range transmission over 5G mmWave in a field trial conducted with NBN Co. in Australia.

This the farthest 28GHz 5G mmWave Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) connection recorded by Samsung, showing its ability to efficiently deliver widespread broadband coverage across the country.

Samsung also achieved record-setting average downlink speeds of 1.75Gbps and uplink speeds of 61.5Mbps across a distance of 10km. The trial by Samsung and NBN utilized eight component carriers (8CC), which is an aggregation of 800MHz of mmWave spectrum. Samsung also reached a top downlink speed of 2.7Gbps over a 10km distance from the radio.

“As we roll out the next evolution of our network to extend its reach for the benefit of homes and businesses across the country, we are excited to demonstrate the potential for 5G mmWave,” said Ray Owen, Chief Technology Officer at NBN. “NBN will be among the first in the world to deploy 5G mmWave technology at this scale, and achievements like Samsung’s 10km milestone will pave the way for further developments in the ecosystem.”

NBN is earmarking AUD $750 million investment in the Fixed Wireless network (made up of AUD $480 million from the Australian Government and supported by an additional AUD $270 million from NBN). NBN will use software enhancements and advances in 5G technology, and in particular 5G mmWave technology, to extend the reach of the fixed wireless footprint by up to 50 percent and introduce two new wholesale high-speed tiers.

“This 5G record proves the massive potential of mmWave technology, and its ability to deliver enhanced connectivity and capacity for addressing the last mile challenges in rural areas,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics.

For the trial, Samsung used its 28GHz Compact Macro and third-party 5G mmWave customer premise equipment (CPE). Samsung’s Compact Macro is the industry’s first integrated radio for mmWave spectrum, bringing together a baseband, radio and antenna into a single form factor.

Since launching the world’s first 5G mmWave FWA services in 2018 in the U.S., Samsung has been leading the industry, offering an end-to-end portfolio of 5G mmWave solutions — including in-house chipsets and radios — and advancing the 5G mmWave momentum globally.